Three stori about gay life the fictnal small town of Homer, Connecticut, over the past half century.
Contents:
COMMON GROUND
Common Ground: Directed by Donna Dech. Wh Erik Knudsen, Brtany Murphy, Jason Pritley, Margot Kidr. This movie ntas three short stori alg wh the theme of homosexualy. In "A Friend of Dorothy", a woman jos the Navy durg the 1950's and disvers lbianism. In "Mr. Roberts", a teacher a 1970's classroom stggl wh his closeted gay stat. Fally "Amos and Andy", a father wrtl wh his own emotnal acceptance of a prent day weddg between his son and another man." data-id="ma * common ground gay film *
An examatn of changg attus toward gay people the past half-century or so a small Connecticut town, was wrten by three proment gay playwr--Pla Vogel, Terrence McNally and Harvey Fierste--and performed by a large st of faiar actors obvly attracted by the weight and "importance" of the the three stori, Vogel's openg segment is by far the bt. Risg actrs Brtany Murphy (so good very different rol "Girl, Interpted, " TV's "David and Lisa, " and "Cluels") is wonrful as the woman, displayg a touchg range of emotns om wonr and excement when she first viss a gay bar, to sadns and shame as the same townspeople who have known her all her life and at first wele her return make clear she is no longer wele their midst.
Wrten by McNally and set 1974, centers on the harassment and hostily directed by bulli toward a gay high school stunt jt emergg om the closet. Jonathan Taylor Thomas is surprisgly strong this segment as the gay stunt--a far cry om his prev performanc which que ankly have never imprsed me much. Steven Weber stars as a closeted gay teacher who ref to help the stunt out of fear his secret will be revealed until a shockg act of vlence the school shower forc him to al wh his own lack of honty about his keeps this segment om htg the bullseye is some unlikely plot velopments the last five mut--and the character of Weber's lover, who don't seem to have much ia of what Weber uld lose if he did e out and is, my opn, a wholly self-centered and unsympathetic partner.
BREAKG GROUND WH A GAY MOVIE HERO
* common ground gay film *
Wrten by Fierste, centers on an unbelievable gay weddg and the relatnship between a father and gay son played by Ed Asner and Jam LeGros. Set the prent day, the entire segment is marred by Fierste's flip, bchy gay humor and mor characters that are unnecsary. Fierste even wr himself a role as a stereotypil, prcg gay florist; personally, I fd him to be much more appealg when he is playg agast type, but that's only part of the problem: every time a valid pot is ma the segment he shoots himself the foot by followg wh a Neil Simonque gay joke that pots out the fact that the entire episo is not ground realy but a playwre's fantasy.
Sadly, is also unrealistic to thk that even 2000, a small town of 24, 000 would be so wele to a gay weddg that the town uncil would approve beg held at the muny center ont of a war memorial which is the centerpiece of the town square. In my own state of California, which is nsired liberal and trend-settg, an anti-gay marriage proposn (#22) on this year's primary ballot enjoys wispread support so I serly doubt a town would be so supportive and that only a handful of churchgoers and veterans would prott.